The Green Load

Since doing laundry is not something we can avoid, let’s make it our mission this Earth Day to be a friend to Mother Earth and reduce the energy used by the washing machine and dryer.

Did you know that the average American family washes 300 loads of laundry a year? At 68 cents per load, this adds up to a yearly total of $204. Nearly 90% of energy used by your washing machine is used to heat water, and most of your annual laundry expenses come from heating water for washing and air for drying.

This Earth Day, consider adopting some “greener” laundry habits that will save energy as well as money.  Let’s make every load a green load.

•    Washing clothes in cold water, with a cold-water detergent, whenever possible saves energy because your machine does not have to heat water. Cold water washing also keeps colors bright and reduces wrinkling. Did you know that washing a load in cold water costs only about four cents, while washing in hot or warm water costs about 68 cents? This means that by using cold water, you’ll save about $35 annually.

•    Wash and dry only full loads. Machines use the same amount of energy whether you’re washing a full load or a small load, so fill up your machines to full capacity to achieve maximum energy efficiency. Also make sure you dry similar types of clothes together; towels take longer to dry than lightweight clothing.

•    If you want to completely cut energy usage, consider air-drying clothes by using a clothesline or drying rack.

•    Cleaning the lint filter after every load improves air circulation, dries clothes faster and prevents fire hazards.

•    Using a faster spin cycle in washing machine reduces the time your clothes need to dry, which means your clothes will dry faster and you’ll be using less energy.

•    If you’re looking to buy a new washing machine, choose one with an ENERGY STAR certification label. These efficient machines use about 25% less energy and about 40% less water than regular washing machines. Using these machines will not only save you hundreds of dollars over the life of the machine, but will reduce energy usage, as well.

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Five Kitchen Gadgets You Didn’t Know You Needed

A cook is only as good as his or her tools. When whipping up meals in the kitchen, it’s always helpful to have the best tools of the trade, making creating gourmet meals nearly effortless. Mr. Appliance^® works hard to maintain a high level of culinary knowledge, and is always on the lookout for ways to make life in the kitchen easier. Here are the top five kitchen gadgets that we feel have revolutionized the kitchen and brought convenience and fun back to life in the kitchen.

See-Through Toaster
Mondays just got a little better; burnt toast is no more thanks to the Robot-Coupe Vision Toaster. Keep an eye on your toast, and get it right every time!

Pot Clip
Tuck a spoon or spatula into this clip to keep messes off the kitchen counter. Utensils stay in plain sight, instead of sneaking away, and counters stay spotless.

SmartMeasure Cup

An affordable solution for all who pursue perfection in the kitchen! SmartMeasure Cups automatically convert ounces to cups and deliver the perfect measurement each time.

Stainless-Steel Finger Guard

Don’t worry about nipping fingers in the kitchen. Protect them while slicing and dicing your veggies with a stainless steel finger guard.

Silicon Baking Ribbon

The freedom of creativity is in your pan. Mold desserts into any shape you desire with flexible, heat-tolerant silicon. The choice is yours; what shape will it be?  Unfortunately this one has not yet made it to the market and is still being judged by the Quirky staff.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Wishing you a very Happy Mother’s Day!

Have Fun While Doing Laundry

Woohoo!  It’s laundry day.  Aren’t you just beside yourself with excitement and anticipation?  You get to spend the entire day surrounded by burped-on baby clothes, smelly athletic wear and a myriad of mystery stains and smells that have yet to be classified.  But it’s fun.  Laundry is fun!

You’re probably sitting there shaking your head and thinking that laundry fun ranks right up there with the other great oxymorons of our time…great depression, jumbo shrimp, clearly confused and original copy.  That’s totally understandable.  However, Mr. Appliance^® would like to issue you a challenge.  We think that if you follow our tips to have fun while doing laundry, you will no longer look at laundry day with the same dread as that of a root canal appointment.  We think you may just end up, dare we say…you may just end up having fun while doing laundry.

Listen to Music

That’s kind of a no-brainer.  Music has this spectacularly clever, yet discrete, way of simply making everything better.  But you can even take it to the next level and create a special playlist devoted solely to laundry days.  Put on your favorite, toe-tappin’, hip-swingin’ tunes we bet you’ll have a pep in your step that gets you through the laundry lickety-split.

Watch a Movie

If you’re the type who tosses the clean laundry on the couch to fold all at one time, a laundry-folding movie could be completely appropriate.  If you fold one load at a time, then make it a Netflix day.  Check out your favorite 30-minute show and watch an episode each time you fold a load of laundry.

Involve the Kiddos

This is a win-win altogether.  First, it gets the kiddos involved in household chores – win.  Second, it can be a lot of fun – also, a win.  Have a contest to see who can fold the most towels.  Or bring in a bucket and see who can “dunk” the most sock balls.  We guarantee there will be plenty of laundry giggles.

Spice up the Laundry Room

If your laundry room is drab and boring, you won’t enjoy spending time there.  Add a splash of color with paint or wallpaper. How about a coat of chalkboard paint on the washing machine?  The possibilities are endless!  Toss in a couple of colorful buckets for sorting and some funny laundry-humor signs for the walls then you’ve got yourself one really cool laundry room.  A room you can most certainly have fun in while doing the laundry!